In Heckman’s suit, his attorney, Joshua Karoly, argues that the incident occurred because Allentown does not properly train police officers and tolerates their misconduct. Specific training on how officers should respond to citizens who video police conduct is needed, the suit states.
“The city had knowledge that due to … nationally publicized incidents of its use to record public actions of police officers, especially those appearing to commit civil rights abuses, that a citizen’s use of a cellphone to capture public police conduct would occur within the city of Allentown, but failed to develop and maintain any policies, customs, rules or regulations regarding same,” the suit states.
